Talbot-Grady-Thomas County GaArchives Biographies.....William Clay March 16 1830 - 1914
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Charles Blankenship Pylessrp@aol.com January 29, 2004, 10:14 am

Author: Charles Blankenship
In May of 1914, William H. Clay was still alive and on his Civil War Pension 
Application papers stated that he was born in Talbot Co., GA in 1830. Those 
files preserved in the Confederate Pension papers for Florida applicants reveal 
William's contribution to the Civil War. He related that he had been a resident 
of Florida since January 1, 1843, two years before Florida was admitted into 
the Union.

His CSA Pension file contains 34 pieces of paper. Besides the normal 
Application, Physician and Comrade Statements, there are about 16 Civil War era 
letters from various towns in Florida, including Gainesville and Lake City. 
William was originally conscripted into the Confederate Army in 1862, but given 
various furloughs to return to his home in Concord, Gadsden Co., FL. 

Because of his skilled occupation as a wheelwright and blacksmith, he was 
finally discharged to return to Concord. For the same reason, according to his 
own statement, he was "pressed" into the Railway Machine Shop in Tallahassee, 
Florida for the duration of the War that ended in 1865.

A survey of the 1880 U. S. Census indicates that William H. Clay was married to 
Caroline. In his Precinct 3, Gadsden, Florida household were 5 children, 
including: Jane (22), Henry (20), Martha (18), John (14) and Minna (4). Judging 
by the age of Jane, he and his wife, Caroline were married before 1858 and he 
had at least two children before the Civil War started. His occupation was 
still listed as a blacksmith.

Around 1908 to 1911, William's application for a Pension was both delayed 
and "not allowed" because he was given a discharge due to his occupation. Since 
William had preserved his discharge papers and letters regarding the same and 
others who verified that he was indeed pressed into the Railway Machine shop, 
he was awarded a Confederate Pension (A08177).

Restating that he was still alive in 1914 at the age of 84 means that perhaps a 
family descendant or others will have to provide his death date and fill in whe 
long years in Florida.

Additional Comments:
Florida Confederate Pension papers available on line from Tallahassee, Florida 
State Archives at: http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/barm/Pensionfiles.html
Search: William H. Clay A08177, Home Guards, Gadsden Co., FL.
1880 U. S. Census, Gadsden Co., FL. [Note: This Wm. H. Clay is not to be 
confused with a William H. Clay, Hotel Keeper, 30 miles away from Concord, FL 
in Thomasville, Thomas Co., FL]

This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/

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